Forgotten Beginnings
by onlyanentity
Summary: Mikasa and Levi meet as children, where they are betrothed to marry at a later time. Medieval-ish AU!
1. Chapter 1

**a/n: this is going to be my first chapter fic and I really hope I'll be able to keep up with updates and such. This is dedicated to my best friend Juli for inspiring this story. Enjoy! 3**

"Bet you can't catch me Eren!" Mikasa shouted as she sprinted as fast as her little legs could. Sure enough, Eren couldn't catch her, no matter how fast he ran.

"No fair, Mikasa, you know you're the fastest out of all of us!" Eren grumbled, as she had managed to outrun both him and Armin. Mikasa turned around and jogged back, stopping to lay down in the grass, where she was joined by Eren and Armin.

"What do you think it'll be like when we grow up?" Armin asked thoughtfully.

"I'm gonna rule over my dad's kingdom!" Eren said eagerly.

"I dunno," Mikasa said. The three children all came from royal families and were destined to rule over each of their families kingdoms. Mikasa closed her eyes. She loved picturing her future as a queen. It was great being a princess, not because she was pampered, but because she saw the adoration the people gave to her and her family. Even though she was under heavy scrutiny as a princess, she enjoyed meeting the people. She loved the frilly dresses she got to wear and the manners she got to perform at formal occasions. She enjoyed her "princess training" and preparing herself to assume the role as queen. She was looking forward to being married, and to having kids. _'Dad still hasn't told me where babies come from. How will I continue the Ackerman bloodline if I don't know that?' _Mikasa thought as she laid with her friends. In her opinion, being royalty was amazing, and she wouldn't give it up for anything.

"Mikasa!" her mother called, interrupting her thoughts, "it's time to come inside and get ready. You know you have a special visitor today." Mikasa sighed and stood up.

"I'll see you guys later," she said softly. They both waved in farewell. She ran into the castle, where her mother immediately began chastising her for her appearance.

"How did you get your nice dress dirty so fast? A grimy appearance is not very ladylike, dear."

"But mom, we were just outs-" Mikasa's sentence was cut off as her and her mother came across a young man. He looked to be about 10, and was dressed very properly and cleanly.

"Mikasa, this is Levi. Say hi, sweetie," her mother coaxed. Mikasa looked up at her mother, unsure of how to respond. She looked over at the strange boy, and then back to her mother.

"Hi Levi, you dress weird. I'm Mikasa," she stated boldly, offering her hand out to him.

"Pft, it's called dressing with class, I wouldn't expect you to know anything about that though," he said, gesturing to her muddy clothes, refusing to accept her hand. At only six years old, Mikasa wasn't afraid to speak her mind. She enjoyed playing in the dirt and all of the other little joys of being a little kid. However, she wasn't used to strangers chastising her for her dress and nobody was prepared for what she did next.

"Ouch! Why would you do that?!" Levi snarled as little Mikasa scampered away, cackling as evilly as a six year old could. Levi had to sit down as the pain shot up his shin from where the little girl had kicked the hell out of him.

"Levi! I am so sorry, I didn't think she would do something like that," Mikasa's mother said, encircling Levi's shoulders with her arm. He rubbed his shin, frowning in disdain at the events that had just transpired. Mikasa's mother helped him to sit on their couch.

"Please, make yourself at home. I'm going to go get Mikasa ready to formally meet you," she said as she walked out of the room. As soon as Mikasa and her mother were out of earshot, her mother swatter her behind.

"Mikasa! How could you do that? He is our very special guest!"

"But mom, he was being rude."

"Mikasa, I do not care how rude a guest is, you do not physically assault them. When we get you ready, you will apologize to him."

"..fine, mom."

"Now let's get you cleaned up and dressed properly."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

"Hello again Levi, allow me to present my lovely daughter, Mikasa Ackerman." Mikasa slowly walked in, with her gaze on the floor, and curtsied before the young boy. Levi approached her and bowed in response. She held her hand out for him, yet again, and he reluctantly took her hand in his and daintily shook it. He brought her hand to his mouth and lightly brushed his lips across the top of her knuckles. Mikasa watched him with pursed lips, unsure of how to react. She looked up at her mother for confirmation that this was what was supposed to happen. Her mother nodded at her encouragingly.

"Hello Levi, my name is Mikasa. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Mikasa. You look lovely."

The whole situation felt forced and it made Mikasa feel very awkward. They both backed away from each other and looked to her mother. Queen Ackerman smiled fondly at both of them, and gestured for them to follow her.

"Dinner is waiting, children. Follow me to the dining hall. Mikasa, we will also be introducing you to Levi's father."

Mikasa nodded, peering over at Levi from the corner of her eye. He seemed relatively unfazed by this information.

"psst, Levi, what's going on?" she whispered from the corner of her mouth.

"I'm just as clueless as you, honestly," he whispered back.

"Ah, here we are kids! Hello Kenny, I present to you my precious daughter Mikasa!" her mother said, gently pushing Mikasa forward. She curtsied down low, keeping her eyes downcast as the older man stood and bowed before her as well.

"Pleasure to meet you Mikasa! See you've met my little son," the man guffawed. The man had clearly been drinking long before the dinner began. Levi briefly lost his composure at being called little by his father, but quickly regained it before anyone but Mikasa could notice. She bowed her head low and nodded. Everyone sat back down and Levi politely pulled her chair out for her. She nodded as she sat, and he pushed her seat to the table. As he walked around the table to his seat, he looked at his father in disdain. However, his father did not return the look, choosing only to grin at Levi.

"So madame and monsieur, what do you think of my son?" his father inquired.

"Well, Kenny, he is certainly very polite. What do you think of Mikasa? Isn't she beautiful?" her mother asked back.

"Indeed she is," Kenny said as he eyed the servers that had flooded the room as he spoke. The servers placed their dinners in front of them and strode out of the room. Mikasa's mother and father carried on their conversation with Levi's father, but Mikasa had no interest in what the older people had to say. She spooned her soup into her mouth, looking up to see the boy across from her spreading his napkin across his lap. She kicked her feet under the table, wishing this dinner was over. 'Why are these strange people visiting us? They're boring and really weird, I hope they're gone before the sun goes down so I can go outside and play more,' she thought irritably. Even though she generally liked her duties as a princess, including entertaining guests, there was something really off about the older man.

"Oi, Mikasa, what do you think of my boy?" Kenny asked as he rested back against his chair. Mikasa looked up, startled by her abrupt inclusion into the conversation.

"Oh, um," she started, a bit unsure of what to say," he's...nice?" Her parents and Kenny both were listening intently as she continued.

"He's not very polite though. He said I was filthy," she finished with a confused look on her face. Her parents and Kenny shared a look before breaking out in laughter.

"Your daughter is great, I really like her!" Kenny said through his laughter. Mikasa looked at the man, unsure of the meaning behind his statements. She looked back down at her plate as her parents and Kenny began talking again. She felt a pair of eyes glaring into the top of her head, but she refused to look up and meet the gaze. She knew it was Levi, and she knew that he was probably unhappy about what she had said about him.

The dinner eventually ended, and Mikasa's mother escorted her back to her room.

"Honey, Levi and his father will be stay with us for the rest of the week and there will also be a grand ball on Friday. I hope you're okay with that," her mother said. Mikasa looked up to her mother, and nodded slightly.

"Yes, mother," Mikasa stated.

"Mikasa, you will also have to play and be around Levi for the entire week. Please try to be friendly with him."

"Yes, mother."

"Good. This could open a lot of opportunities for all of us," her mother mumbled the last part. Mikasa looked up at her mother, not quite understanding what she had said.

"Sleep well, Mikasa. Good night, I love you, my sweet daughter," she said as she shuffled Mikasa into her room and shut the door behind her. She changed into her pajamas, and flopped back onto her bed, not feeling sleepy at all. _'I wonder what mother was talking about,_' she thought, '_how can these strange men create opportunities for us?_' She sat up and crossed her legs, grabbing her brush from her nightstand, and proceeded to brush through her long black tresses. After her hair was thoroughly brushed, she turned back her covers and slipped into bed. She laid there, looking up at her ceiling, unable to sleep. A few hours passed, with Mikasa still being unable to sleep. She slipped out from underneath her covers, and tip-toed across her room. Quietly opening her door, she snuck out of her room and headed towards the library, where she knew the fireplace would still be lit. Mikasa made sure to step lightly on the balls of her feet to be as quiet as possible. She reached the door, sliding through a small opening, and closing it behind her. She froze as she heard the sound of someone turning the page in a book. Her eyes widened, hoping her parents hadn't caught her sneaking out of bed. The library had been her haven ever since she had learned how to read. There had been many times that her parents had found her sleeping in one of the overly plush chairs in the early morning. Granted they hadn't punished her, but they had sure chastised her for it. She slowly turned around, prepared to meet her maker, only to see Levi sipping a cup of tea as he read.


	3. Chapter 3

**a/n: hello dear readers, I'd like to address a comment about the length of the updates. I do my best to update weekly. I feel that ~1000 words is decent for a weekly update. I do not have the time to write 20,000 words every week as I am a full time college student. This is the best I can do at the moment. Please appreciate that I write this in my spare time, this isn't exactly a full time job. Also, have my apologies for not updating last week, I was rather busy. **

"Oh, good evening, Mikasa. It's awfully late for you to be out, isn't it?"

"Levi!" she said with a start, "what are you doing here?"

"Probably the same as you. I couldn't sleep. I can never sleep in new places."

"Oh," she mumbled, "I'm sorry to hear that. I can't sleep either."

"Would you like some tea? I made extra. It relaxes me and sometimes helps me sleep," he gestured to the seat next to him for her to sit down as he spoke.

"Thank you, Levi."

He handed her the cup of tea and went back to reading. Mikasa picked up her book from the table, and sipped the tea, savoring the taste. As she opened her book, she peered at Levi from the corner of her eye. _'This boy is very strange_,' she thought, _'one minute he's calling me a brat and now he's being overly nice to me_.' She stared down at her book as she contemplated Levi's actions, completely unaware that Levi was now observing her from the corner of his eye. She curled her legs up underneath herself and was quietly enjoying her book and the tea until Levi interrupted her thoughts.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry for calling you filthy. You're just a kid." Mikasa rolled her eyes and sighed before answering him.

"Thank you for apologizing, but you're also 'just a kid,'" her voice dripping with sarcasm.

He looked over at her with a smirk, but she kept her gaze down on her book. They read together into the wee hours of the morning, only to be discovered by Mikasa's parents. Mikasa had her head on Levi's shoulder and was snoring softly with her book spread across her lap, while Levi's head was leaned back to rest upon the back of the sofa, his book having fallen to the floor. Mikasa's mother covered her smile with her hand as she looked to her husband.

"Looks like they're getting along now, dear." He chuckled as he viewed them, and they both turned to walk back out. Levi and Mikasa slept for a few hours after that, only being awakened by the sunlight that streamed through the window. Levi groaned, lifting his arms to stretch, only to realize that Mikasa obstructed his left arm from movement. He looked down as she began to stir. She yawned and stretched her body out. She looked up to find his gaze on hers. Startled, she moved back to the other end of the sofa, blushing furiously.

"L-levi, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to fall asleep on you," she apologized profusely. He only shook his head and smiled at her.

"Don't worry about it, Mikasa," he said as he stood and strode out of the room. Finding herself alone, she thought about the events that had just transpired. She felt her face flush again at just the thought of falling asleep on Levi. '_He's practically a stranger_,' she thought, '_why had she let herself do that?'_ She fixed her ruffled pajamas, and walked out of the room as well. She walked into the kitchen where there was a plate of food waiting for her. She sat at the small dining table in the kitchen and was taking the first bite of her food when Levi walked in. She kept her head down as he entered and grabbed an apple from the fruit basket and plopped down into the chair in front of her.

"Good morning," he murmured as he took out his book from the night before, "how did you sleep?"

"I slept fine," she muttered into the eggs she was eating. He grinned behind his book, unnoticed by her. Breakfast passed by quietly otherwise, with Mikasa sneaking looks at Levi as he read. Mikasa slid out of her chair and put her dishes away and walked out of the room, only to discover Levi following her. Trying to not think too much of it, she walked out of the castle towards the field where she could lay under the trees. As she sprawled out underneath the shade, Levi sat besides her, still reading from his book.

"Mr. Levi, why are you following me?"

"Why are you calling me mister all of the sudden? Don't call me that, I'm only four years older than you."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Your mother told me to watch over you for the week that I'm here."

"But I don't need another kid watching over me."

"Listen Mikasa, I'm not disobeying your mother."

Mikasa huffed, but accepted his answer. Instead, she focused her gaze on the clouds to take her mind off the fact that Levi was forced to be her personal chaperone for the week. Although it was often her, Eren, and Armin that would be under this tree gazing at the clouds, she accepted that this week would be spent with Levi. He was quiet, and his presence was agreeable. Seeing a cloud in the sky, she quickly began tugging on Levi's sleeve.

"Levi! Levi, look!"

He set his book down onto his chest, looking in the direction of her finger.

"Doesn't it look like a dragon fighting a unicorn?"

"Yeah, I definitely see that. Look at the one next to it, it looks like a pirate ship!"

The two continued excitedly pointing out cloud formations through the rest of the afternoon, stopping only when the clouds had all been blown away and they were left with clear blue sky. They laid in silence, both secretly enjoying the others company. Rolling onto her side, she faced Levi for a moment before asking, "What's your book about?" Levi also rolled onto his side and faced her and began explaining what the book he had been reading was about. Mikasa listened intently to his description, but on occasion, Levi would use a larger word that she wouldn't understand and she would make him stop and explain that as well.

Once reading had surpassed her attention span, Mikasa decided that she wanted to play. She rose up from her spot on the ground, while Levi's eyes watched her back curiously. Looking down at him, she grinned mischievously. She whipped around and faced the nearest tree as she sprinted towards it. Levi smiled as he watched her; she was all giggles and smiles as she jumped and grabbed onto the lowest branch of the tree. She began swinging back and forth, bringing her legs in between her arms so that she could hook them around the branch and pull her body up to sit on the branch. She stood, reaching out for the next branch, jumping slightly to reach it. She scraped her feet against the tree, trying to find purchase so she could climb up to the next. Grunting, she suddenly felt hands at her feet pushing her up. She looked down to find a grinning Levi lifting her to the next branch. She hadn't even seen or heard him move from their spot and climb the first branch. It was probably easier for him to climb it since he was a bit taller than her anyways. She smiled as she gained her balance on the next branch and felt Levi grasping at the branch to pull himself up. Keeping herself steady, she reached down and helped pull him up. They stood and admired the slightly higher view, until Mikasa piped up, "Let's go higher! I bet we can reach the top. I've never made it to the top of this tree before," she finished sheepishly. Levi gave her a little smile and went to lift her up towards the next branch. They continued climbing until they finally reached the top of the tree. She steadied herself against the tree, wrapping her arms around it. "Wow," she murmured, "it's really pretty up here." Levi smiled, thinking about how right she was. However, he was quickly interrupted from his thoughts as Mikasa shouted, "I'm gonna jump all the way down!" Levi watched, slightly horrified as Mikasa flung herself from the tree. As she neared the ground, Levi began descending the tree as fast as he could. He heard her hit the ground with a thud, panic about what her mom would say if it turned out he had let her precious only daughter break her leg or something under his watch. "Mikasa!" he yelled again.

"Yes?" came her calm reply. He whipped around to face her, grabbing her shoulders and quickly examining her. He sighed.

"Don't do that again, that was so stupid!" he stated gruffly.

"Were you worried about me, shorty?" she said grinning at him.

"What. Did. You. Just. Call. Me," Levi growled. Mikasa's grin grew even wider. She turned, and began running away from him, laughing as she went. Levi could feel his anger vanishing as he heard the tinkling of her laughter being carried back on the wind. A smile slowly grew on his face as he began jogging slowly after her.

That night after dinner, the two met up in the library again. Unbeknownst to them, Mikasa's mother had decided to see if their actions from the previous night would be repeated. She slowly pushed the door open, making sure to keep quiet. As she slipped into the room, she heard soft murmuring, coming from Levi. She approached the figure on the couch, tip toeing to make sure she wouldn't be heard. She peeked over the back of the couch, only to witness Mikasa sleeping with her head in Levi's lap, as Levi read softly to her sleeping form. Covering her mouth to hide her delighted sigh and smile, Mikasa's mother quietly crept out of the room, and pulled the door shut behind her.


	4. Chapter 4

Unaware of the unexpected visitor, Levi continued to read out loud, even though his audience had long been asleep. He paused, and laid the book down on the couch beside him. He looked down at Mikasa's peaceful face, noticing how her hair marred his view of her. He reached up and swept the stray locks of hair from her face, noting the soft texture of the strands. As he stroked her hair, her eyes began to flutter, and Levi began pulling his hand away. Mikasa reached up, and pulled his hand back down.

"Please don't stop. It's very comforting," she muttered, half asleep. Levi couldn't help but smile at the small act. It was very unlike her, to wish for physical affection, but he was not one to deny her. Levi slowly ran his fingers through her hair as she began to doze off again. When he was sure that she was completely asleep, he picked his book back up and continued reading, making sure to keep one of his hands tangled in her hair. Soon, he began to drift to sleep as well.

The next morning, Mikasa woke up to Levi snoring with his arms wrapped around her. She scrunched up her nose and began trying to wriggle out of his grip. Levi sighed as his eyes fluttered open. He quickly retracted his arms and scooted away from her as fast as he could. He opened his mouth to speak when Mikasa's mother burst into the room.

"Mikasa! Where have you been? It's Friday, you know it's a big day and you have to get ready!"

Mikasa rose from her spot on the couch. She looked back at Levi to see his nose buried in his book once again. Huffing slightly, she turned to follow her mother out. She walked out in front of her mother, ignoring the smile on her mother's face. She walked into her room to see her servants waiting for her. They bowed their heads as she walked past them into her bathroom. She was stripped and bathed until she was spotless. She had her hair dried and swept up into a bun with her bangs still covering her face. The maids slipped her into an emerald green dress, her favorite color of the time. She was perfumed and made up. Only then was she able to leave her room. By this time, it was already noon. There was still two hours before the ball was supposed to start. She sat down on her bed as she tried to decide what to do during this spare time. She slid her feet into her flats and snuck out of her room. She knew her mother liked for everyone to be surprised and awed by her appearance but she didn't want to be trapped in her room for two hours. She slipped into the kitchen as quietly as she could, being sure to pull the door quietly behind her. She turned around, only to see Lev sitting at the kitchen table again. He bit into his apple as he smirked up at her. She glowered down at him as she picked up her own apple and sat across from him at the table. His smirk turned into a genuine smile when he spoke.

"You look quite beautiful. Are you excited for the ball?"

Mikasa grunted in response, not caring to make small talk with him after he had practically ignored her this morning after being so incredibly nice the night before. She bit into her apple, trying to hide her emotions from him. He only smiled at her attempt and wiped his face of the juice from the apple. He rose and threw his apple away, smirking as he leaned down to wipe the juice from her face as well.

"I'll see you at the ball tonight. I must get ready as well," he said as he walked out. Mikasa looked down at her lap, feeling mildly embarrassed at the way she had acted towards him. She picked up his forgotten book, and began reading on the page he had dog eared. Surprisingly, this was able to take her mind off of everything and the next hour and a half passed by rather quickly.

Mikasa was rushed to her room before the ball was to begin. She sat at her vanity, with one of her maids behind her.

"Does my hair look okay still? I tried not to jostle it too much," she asked quietly. The maid began to adjust her hair and her dress as they waited. It seemed like the wait would go on forever, but another servant finally came knocking at her door to announce that it was time for her entrance. She turned to face her maid, who only smiled, told her she was beautiful, and began to escort her out of the room. At the top of the stairs, she faced her maid, hoping for reassurance yet again. The maid shooed her towards the stairs, telling her again how beautiful she was and how she would stun the crowd. Nervously, she adjusted her bangs again, and took a deep breath before approaching the top step. She grabbed the railing and took the first step. At the very bottom step, stood her mother. She had her arms outstretched, gesturing to Mikasa as she spoke to the crowd.

"Everyone, I am pleased to introduce my lovely, beautiful daughter. Mikasa Ackerman!"

Mikasa continued her descent, trying to remain composed despite feeling very shy before all of these people. As she reached the bottom stair, her mother took her hand and she curtsied before the crowd, allowing a small smile to herself. After the applause died down and everyone returned to their own conversations, her mother leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

"You were wonderful, dear. You looked so confident. Are you excited for the announcement tonight?"

"Yes, mom! I can't wait to hear what you and daddy have planned with Mr. Ackerman."

"Honey, remember to address him as King Ackerman in his presence, you don't want to be rude."

Nodding vigorously, Mikasa quickly scampered off. She weaved through the crowd to try to find Eren and Armin, considering their families had been invited as well. She saw them huddled next to the table that contained all of the snacks for the night. As she drew closer, she could hear Eren and Armin arguing about the most efficient way to sneak away the most snacks. Mikasa couldn't help but snicker as she strode in between them and stole the food right out of Eren's hand. The two looked at her, dumbstruck by her appearance.

"Wow Mikasa, you look really pretty tonight," Armin said, blushing slightly.

"Yeah, she actually looks like a girl!" Eren said through his laughter. Mikasa looked down at her feet, embarrassed by Eren's words.

"I think she looks beautiful," came a voice from behind them. The trio turned to find the unknown source, only to be face-to-face with Levi. He had his arms crossed and he looked rather cross at what Eren had said.

"O-oh, yeah, you look beautiful, Mikasa," Eren said as he blushed furiously and bowed his head to her. With that, Levi walked away to join a group of kids that seemed to be closer to his age.

"M-mikasa, who was that?" Armin stuttered.

"That's Levi. He and his family have been staying with my family for the past week."

"Ah, so that's where you've been this week," Armin nodded solemnly. During their conversation, the band had picked up playing where they had left off during her entrance. Mikasa turned around to see Levi leading a girl with red hair out to dance. The girl was one of the people that had been in his group of friends. Mikasa's smile slowly turned into a frown as she watched the two slowly make their way across the dance floor. This feeling was unfamiliar to her. Was this jealousy? Armin seemed to notice, as a knowing smile graced his face. Eren, on the other hand, went about devouring every single snack he could get his hands on.

"Wow, so that guy has been living with you for the last week? What's he like Mikasa? He seems so cool!" Eren said, talking with his mouth full. Mikasa rolled her eyes.

"Not to mention that cute girl he's dancing with," he said, not noticing the dark look Mikasa gave him.

"Um, Eren, I think your mom is calling for you," Armin said nervously. Eren whipped around and began to walk hurriedly towards his mother.

"Sorry, Mikasa. You know he's rather dense."

"Yeah."

She walked off, trying to sort out her own feelings. As the song came to an end, she looked up to see Levi and the girl walking toward her. The girl had a huge grin plastered to her face and was waving frantically at Mikasa.

"Hi Mikasa! Levi's told me so much about you. It's like he can't stop talking about you," she said with a laugh and a nudge to Levi's shoulder. Levi's mouth opened slightly to protest, but before he could, the girl continued.

"Oh, sorry, I shouldn't be so rude. My name is Isabel!" she said as she curtsied. Mikasa curtsied back and kept her head low.

"My name is Mikasa. Levi has not told me about you. You two must be happy together," she said as she turned her head away. Mikasa heard the girl chuckling, until she burst out into full blown hysterical laughter.

"Us? Together?" She continued laughing uproariously at the notion. Mikasa turned to face her to see the girl bent over and nearly in tears and to see Levi's red expression. He cleared his throat.

"This is Isabel. She's my sister," he said lowly.

"...You have a sister. You didn't tell me."

"Well, she's more of my adopted sister."

Mikasa could feel the blood rushing to her face as she realized her mistake. As the feeling of jealousy was washed away, she could feel the embarrassment replacing it. Curtsying and bowing her head low, she spoke through her hair, "please forgive me. It was not right of me to assume." Isabel giggled again throwing her arms around the girl in a hug, "it's alright sis!" Before Mikasa could react, Levi was dragging the girl away, leaving Mikasa completely bewildered.

As the night progressed, Mikasa danced across the floor with many of her mother and father's friends. She had eaten to her heart's content and enjoyed many compliments from her dance partners. However, at the moment, her parents were calling for everyone to gather around, as they had an announcement. Mikasa pushed herself to the front of the crowd, where her mother beckoned for her to join them. Her mother and father were also joined by Levi and his father. Levi gave her a small smile, before awkwardly turning away. Her father raised his glass of champagne and tapped on it with his butter knife to get everyone's attention.

"Good evening everyone! I hope you all are having a wonderful time tonight. This is a very special occasion, for us and for our daughter." Mikasa looked up, when she was mentioned, thinking, 'what's so special about this exactly?'

"Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, we are thrilled to announce the engagement of our daughter, Princess Mikasa Ackerman, to Prince Levi Ackerman!"


	5. Chapter 5

**a/n: shorter update, but still please enjoy. **

The crowd broke into cheerful applause at the announcement. Mikasa looked over to Levi again, but he refused to look up at her. His face remained stoic through the applause. Huffing, Mikasa strode to where he was standing and slid her hand into his. This was her engagement as well and this boy would not ruin this moment for her. She gripped his hand and the crowd broke into a chorus of "aww!" and laughter as they saw the girl's determined face. She turned to Levi with a grin, only to see him blushing at her. The crowd dispersed and they returned to their own conversations and friends and to discuss the new engagement. Mikasa's mother and father approached with smiles on their faces, "So Mikasa, we see that you approve of your future husband." Mikasa nodded confidently. She knew that this was to happen sooner or later and Levi seemed like the type of man she would be proud to marry. He was well-read, kind, and blunt. To her, these qualities seemed important for a leader to have. Her parents both smiled and turned to Levi.

"Levi, is this exciting for you as well? We hope that you will come to love our daughter as much as we do."

"Thank you King and Queen Ackerman. I will be delighted to marry your daughter when the time comes."

Kenny soon approached as well.

"Well, helloooo there, my soon to be daughter in law! You seem to approve of this arrangement. My boy here," he continued as he nudged Levi's shoulder, "was absolutely thrilled when I let him in on the secret." Mikasa smiled in response. She tightened her grip on Levi's hand, and Levi squeezed her hand in response.

"Thank you, King Kenny, for allowing me to marry your son. I will be the most faithful and loyal queen there ever was," she said as she bowed her head. She looked up to see Kenny grinning down at her. She hesitantly smiled in response. For some reason, the man just made her uncomfortable. Levi, sensing her unsettledness, pulled her away by the hand towards the dance floor. He pulled her to him and he delicately set his hand on her waist. He gripped her hand a bit tighter as he began to lead her in a slow Waltz.

"I'm sorry about Kenny. He's…different."

"Do you ever address him as father? I've noticed you always call him by his first name."

"..It's a long story, Mikasa, but he isn't technically my father. We are blood related, though. He was a distant relative of my mother's, and when he heard that one of his sisters had finally had a son, he decided to take me on as his heir."

"I see."

He continued guiding her through the dance, as Mikasa pursed her lips in thought. She was beginning to realize truly how little she knew about Levi, and also how little he knew about her. She knew he liked to read, and also that he was very agile, but that seemed to be the extent of her knowledge. Grabbing his hand, she began to walk him out of the ball room.

"Mikasa?"

Ignoring him, she continued to lead him towards the library. She hitched up her dress as she began to run up the stairs, tugging him along. She heard Levi sigh in resignation. Mikasa opened the door to the library, and ushered him inside. She pushed him to sit on the couch, and she sat in front of him on the floor.

"Mikasa, what's all this about?"

"We're getting married, Levi."

"And?"

"And, aren't you excited? Aren't you scared? We barely know each other."

"It's not as if we will be married tomorrow. At the very earliest, we will marry in six years' time. We will have an abundance of time to get to know each other."

Mikasa nodded her head slightly. Levi leaned forward and ruffled her hair gently.

"Don't worry, Mikasa. I will be here for you." She smiled up at him, and he grinned back at her. Levi stood and offered his hand out to her.

"Come on, let's get you to bed. We have to be up early, as me and Kenny are leaving."

Mikasa pursed her lips as she grabbed his hand and he pulled her up to stand. She yawned, only just realizing how tired she had become. Levi draped his arm over her shoulders as they walked out of the library together. She leaned against his shoulder, allowing him to lead her towards her bedroom. He stopped at her door, and watched her enter the room. She turned back to face him.

"Good night to you Levi. I hope you sleep well."

"Good night Mikasa, thank you for the sentiment," he murmured as he bowed towards her and took her hand in his and brushed his lips over her knuckles. Mikasa could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks and she abruptly withdrew her hand from his grasp.

"I'll see you in the morning!" She said as she hurriedly closed the door in his face. She walked into her bathroom, noting that one of the maids had already drawn her bath for the night. She could still see the steam rising from the water. She tugged off her dress, and slid into the water, setting out to scrub the day's stress away. After she had finished bathing, she dried herself off, and worked on towel drying her hair. She heard soft footsteps approaching from her room, and she looked to see who it was. Her mother poked her head in through the door and lightly knocked on the door.

"Let me get that for you dear." Her mother approached and took the towel from her, drying her hair and combing it out for her expertly. Mikasa sighed, she had forgotten how relaxing it was to have her mother do this for her. Her mother was always so gently, wheras the servants could be rather rough.

"Sweetheart, how do you feel about the arranged marriage?"

"It's fine with me, mother. Levi seems to be an acceptable man for me to marry in the future."

"Has he been nicer to you lately?"

"Yes. He helped me climb a tree the other day."

"That was nice of him. What do you think of his father?"

"He told me it's not really his dad, and it's really his uncle."

"Mhm."

"I guess he seems nice. He's kind of weird though."

"Well, eventually you and Levi will rule over the Ackerman Kingdom. Isn't that exciting, dear?"

"Yes mama!" Mikasa beamed at this. She knew she would be ready when the time came.

"That's my little princess," her mother said as she ran her fingers through her hair one last time, "come on, let's get you to bed." Mikasa nodded in agreement and allowed her mother to guide her to bed and tuck her in.

"Good night, little one," her mother said as she kissed her forehead.

"Good night, mama, I love you," Mikasa yawned. Her mother shut off the light and closed the door behind her. Mikasa stared at her ceiling, and she considered what was to come for her. She knew basically what the future would hold for her: marriage, children, and royalty. But she wanted to know the little details. Would she love Levi? Would they successfully rule over the kingdom? Would her parents approve of the way they ruled? Of course, she didn't know the answer to these questions, but it was the uncertainty of tomorrow that was exciting.


End file.
